Officers of the Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha released hostages held on the Turkish vessel in the territorial waters of Ukraine on September 4.

The vessel was heading from Mykolaiv to Jordan under the flag of Turkey with a cargo of steel structures. According to the SBU, two crew members on board made a fight and stabbed four colleagues. Then they blackouted the ship and took hostage five people, part of the crew barricaded themselves hiding from attackers.

Criminal proceedings are initiated by Police under the article on hijacking or seizure of the marine vessel of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Investigations are currently underway.